Last week, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III learned a lot about the way potentially conflicting remarks from a player and a coach will be scrutinized and interpreted. This week, Griffin said the experience won’t change how he handles the media.
“I’ll continue to be who I am,” Griffin told reporters, via Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.
The problem started when comments from Griffin juxtaposed with comments from Shanahan created the impression that a rift exists between the two men regarding Griffin’s return to play from a torn ACL.
“I sat down and talked to a few people, ‘Do I stop being who I am, stop being honest with you guys and not give you guys ammunition to turn against this team or do I just go into a shell and Bill Belichick it all week?’” Griffin said. “But I’ll continue to be who I am and if something like that does happen just go back and make a statement and make sure everybody is clear on it. I don’t think I can change who I am just because people are going to take my words and put them against me.”
But he doesn’t have to change who he is. He just has to be more careful.
Griffin and Belichick currently are at opposite ends of the same spectrum. Neither wants to have to filter or frame his comments in real time. Griffin resolves the dilemma by being candid; Belichick opts to say nothing.
The better approach is to talk, but to know when to spot potential problem topics and how to tiptoe them. For some, it’s a natural instinct. For others, it’s a skill developed over time. For Griffin, last week’s events provide an opportunity to understand the balance between saying something while, at times, saying nothing.